Electric vehicles (EVs) have grown in use around the world with a strong interest in clean emissions, quiet driving, and low maintenance. Advancements in battery technology have supported improvements in vehicle speed as well as driving distance. Battery charging has improved to help support this growth and provide recharging times as low as two hours for a complete charge of large EV batteries (e.g. as in Chevrolet Volt or Tesla Model S). The push to improve recharge times has driven battery manufacturers to improve technology and provide “fast charge” capability in their batteries. The goal is to allow EV cars to recharge in close to the same time as refueling a gasoline vehicle (e.g. 10-15 minutes).
A problem arises with fast recharging of large vehicle batteries because of the large amount of AC Power required from the utility power grid for each (or multiple) vehicle(s) during recharge. For example, a normal size sedan such as a Chevrolet Volt could require power as high as 350 KW during the recharge process to achieve targeted recharge times. This power requirement when multiplied by several vehicles being charged simultaneously would require a huge AC Power source (such as utility power grid infrastructure to support a large industrial load, followed by AC/DC conversion) at the refueling site. This type of AC Power source is not available in most locations. The power surges during refueling also cause problems with the utility companies' ability to predict power requirements in specific locations. Adding to this particular problem is the sparse locations of recharge stations. EV recharge pumps must be available at a normal gas station to allow the EV market to grow.